


Film 101: Introduction to Film History and Theory

by gentlemanadventurer



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Oblivious boys are oblivious, VIdeo Store AU, bad unintentional flirting, because of course there are, bonding over movies, lots of movies, no prank au, precursor to romance, shitty summer jobs, udge2018, until dawn gift exchange 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 19:10:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15177407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gentlemanadventurer/pseuds/gentlemanadventurer
Summary: Stuck in the limbo between high school graduation and the start of college, Josh and Mike land a job at the same rundown video store in their hometown. Unfortunately, there are some gaps in Mike's movie knowledge.





	Film 101: Introduction to Film History and Theory

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Josh Washington (CaptainSunder)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainSunder/gifts).



Josh sighed, shaking his head with a mixture of condescension and genuine regret. "We just don't have it, man. I'm sorry."

The customer, a man in his forties with a tired expression, sighed as well. "Are you sure?"

"Entirely." Glancing around furtively, Josh leaned forward. "Just go online."

The man blinked at him. "What?"

"Seriously. A google search. It works for anything. Just 'movie title,' 'online,' and 'free.' You'll find what you're looking for. Just don't click the ads and you'll be fine."

He nodded uncertainly, glanced across the store to Mike, and left, the electronic bell sounding as the door swung open and shut. "You sound like you're selling drugs or stolen jewelry or something." His voice dropped in pitch and took on a sinister tone. "Hey man… I got the good stuff right here." He slid another DvD back into place and snorted. "Jim would kill you if he knew you did that."

Josh flopped into the old desk chair behind the counter and reclined back as far as he could, lazily folding his hands behind his head and smirking. "Jim is lucky this place still exists. I swear, dude, this must be the only actual video rental place left in L.A."

"Well, either way. I like it."

"Me too. You don't have to get defensive about it."

"I'm not defensive. I'm just not a critical asshole all the time."

Scratching idly at the spot where his polyester work shirt irritated his neck, Josh raised an eyebrow. "Maybe not critical, but you're certainly an asshole. Or at least an ass."

"As long as I'm not just a hole, I think I can deal with it." Mike continued to shelve movies, the cases making a satisfying sound as they slid into place. "Do you think Jim realizes that there isn't the Friday night rush he thinks there is?"

"Obviously not, or we wouldn't both be here. There is nowhere near enough work for two people."

"You could, y'know, dust or something."

Josh lifted his nose, face haughty. "Me? Dust?" He held up his hands. "Do these look like the fingers of a peasant? My fine skin was not meant for such work."

Snorting, Mike continued on. "What movie did that guy want, anyway?"

"Oh yeah. Get this. _Spiderman 2_." Josh looked at him expectantly, but Mike wasn't sure quite what he was waiting for.

"I… is there a joke in there somewhere? ' _Spiderman 2_ ' who? Orange you glad I didn't say _Spiderman 3_?"

"Uh, _Spiderman 2_ is garbage. The man is lucky we didn't have it, really. He can watch it for free and not waste his money."

 _Legally Blonde_ went into its slot with a soft thunk. Pushing the cart further down the aisle, Mike grinned cheekily at him. "Whatever. I liked it."

"You liked it?" The utter incredulity and derision in Josh's voice made him flush slightly. He'd expected some scorn, obviously—this was Josh Washington, after all—but he hadn't quite been ready for its intensity. "You seriously liked it?"

"It was fun. Sue me."

Josh let his head fall forward to hit the desk with a hollow thud. His voice, when it came, was slightly muffled and utterly exhausted. "I don't know what my sister sees in you."

"What?"

"Nothing."

They went back to work. Mike shelved and tried to keep his eyes from glazing over as the radio played a slightly tinny rendition of classic rock songs. Josh considered the situation, then made the very reasonable and calculated decision to conserve his energy in the event of a late-night run of movie fiends, pillowed his head on his hands, and went to sleep.

-o-

Josh looked so appalled, Mike thought he might actually have succeeded in rendering him momentarily speechless. Then: " _Are you fucking kidding me_?"

Mike shook his head and took a swig of his coke. "Nope. I mean, I know he's a movie guy, but I'm not really into movies that much."

"A movie guy. A _movie guy_." Josh groaned and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. "Kubrick is not just 'a movie guy.' He's _the_ movie guy. Are you serious, Munroe?"

"I'm not really into movies," he repeated, shoving some flyers to the side in order to lift himself up onto the counter. "It really isn't as big of a deal as you're making it."

The other man stared at him, barely blinking. Josh didn't get it. It wasn't just that he didn't know who Kubrick was—that might be forgivable—but to not know him while simultaneously liking something as ridiculous as some superhero movie with Tobey Maguire? He knew Mike wasn't stupid, as much as he might play at it sometimes, so how could he possibly… "Oh yes. Yes, it most certainly is a big deal." Josh shoved himself up and headed out into the store purposefully. The look on his face made Mike mildly nervous.

He returned with a DVD case and slapped it down on the counter. Mike looked at it, then back at Josh. "What is this?"

" _The Shining_. We're watching it."

"Um…" He glanced around the empty store, then finally shrugged. "Sure."

Fucking hell did Josh love this movie. The score alone gave him chills and he noted the clever staging, calculated coloring choices, and set symmetry with fondness. Rewatching a great movie was like reading a letter from an old friend. He could never really say it without it sounding mental, but it almost felt like the movie was giving him a hug. A horror movie, at that. He wasn't sure exactly what that said about him, but, on the other hand, he didn't really care.

"I don't get it. Is this supposed to be scary?" Josh shot him an irritated glance and he raised his hands defensively. "I'm not saying it's bad, dude. Just that it isn't particularly scary. I always thought this was supposed to be a horror flick."

"It is. It's fucking masterful," Josh said flatly, watching the screen pointedly. His voice dropped and he muttered under his breath. "Unless you're an idiot, I guess."

"You know I can hear you, right?" When Josh didn't answer, Mike folded his arms over his chest and settled back against the wall further. "Like I said. I don't think it's bad. I just expected it to grip me more. The guy is an abusive asshole and the movie is solid enough, but I've just been hearing people talk about how terrifying this movie is, and… I don't know, man. Maybe it's just changing times and stuff."

He saw Josh glance at him from the corner of his eye and continued. "I mean, even though I've never seen this, I already knew almost all of the scenes that were probably upsetting for the original audience. How can 'Come play with us' scare me, when I've seen it done in homages and parodies and stuff over and over again? I didn't know what it was from, but Vanessa made some joke on Facebook about her period and used a gif of the elevator doors opening and the bloody water flooding out. It's just lost some of its novelty."

After a long moment of silence in which they watched Jack Nicholson try to get out of the giant refrigerator, Josh shifted in his seat and nodded. "Yeah. That's fair."

"It also isn't my favorite Steven King, so I might be biased going into it."

"I thought you said you weren't really a movie guy."

Mike snorted. "Doesn't mean I don't read."

"I didn't know you _could_ read." Josh grunted in pain as Mike's foot connected solidly with his shin. "Ow. No need to resort to violence."

"No need to be a dick either, but you insist on doing it. I've read a couple Steven King books. The first few Gunslinger ones. _It_. _The Shining_ , obviously. A few others. They're not bad."

-o-

As was always the case, Friday night was largely dead. They had blown through restocking quickly—although 'they' was generous, since Mike had once again done most of it—and after the few regulars and date-night customers had come by, Josh had turned to his coworker and asked, with some overwrought trepidation, if he knew who David Lynch was.

"Another movie guy, I'm assuming."

And thus was Josh's suspicion concerned. "Director. He's a director."

"You're going to make me watch another movie, aren't you?"

"Settle in, Munroe. I checked, and we have _Blue Velvet_ , so—" Josh reached under his shirt to grab the case he'd stuck through his waistband earlier and brandished it. "Voil _ **à**_!"

About half an hour in, Mike broke the silence. "What the fuck is this?" He stared at the screen. "Why are you making me watch this?"

To be fair, Josh thought, it was a pretty fucked up movie. Plus, like all Lynch movies, it was bizarre. That's why he liked them. They all reminded him of the time he'd done acid and the way things had seemed normal before the walls had started to melt. They left him feeling oddly untethered to reality and uncertain what was real. "Because he's a genius."

They lapsed back into a quiet that had a strange, vague tension to it. Josh started to reconsider as the movie continued on. They watched the story unfold in its dark, dreamlike way. It felt, Josh realized, a little bit like watching a movie with your parents when a sex scene comes on. But rather than be embarrassed by the very concept of sex existing in the same space as the person he watched the movie with, his acute self-consciousness came with the realization that Mike might think this was the sort of thing he was into, sexually. Josh might enjoy some… well… slightly rougher edges to sex, but he didn't want to call someone 'mommy' or huff gas or beat someone to within an inch of their life.

He cleared his throat unthinkingly and tried to focus on the movie. The need to break the weird quiet was overwhelming, so he cast around for something to say. "So does Emily hate that you keep working Friday nights? That's date night for the average American young person, right?"

Mike didn't take his eyes off the screen, watching as Isabella Rossellini crooned into a microphone. "You didn’t hear? We broke up a while ago. I think she started dating Jess, actually. Something about prom."

"Seriously?" Josh considered it for a moment. Huh. He wouldn't have guessed, though given how little he interacted with either of the girls, that wasn't really surprising. "C'est la vie, I guess."

"Em and I fought a lot anyway. She's kind of bossy."

"Emily Davis? Bossy? I never would have guessed."

They settled back into watching the movie, the silence a little less awkward. If Josh found himself happy that Mike was single, it was only because it meant less chance of Emily showing up at the store.

Obviously.

-o-

Mike eyed the DVD case warily. After what he had seen last time, he wasn't sure he trusted Josh to not show him something awful. "I don't know…" He cast around for an excuse. "I bet Jim wouldn't like us just watching movies all the time. This would be the third week in a row."

"You're just nervous because _Blue Velvet_ fucked up your week, right? Fear not, fair damsel, for your noble prince is here with something that would sooth even the most _Eraserhead_ -addled mind!"

Josh grinned and, after a moment, Mike realized he was smiling back. Josh's enthusiasm had always been a bit infectious. That was how he got away with so much shit that would get lesser weirdos busted. Honestly, Mike admitted to himself, Josh and Chris were lucky they'd met. Chris's bespectacled-blond-kid innocence and Josh's wild-eyed charm paired perfectly and by the time they'd all graduated, most of the high school teachers had been eating out of their palms. It might be different in college, with them going to different schools, but he was sure Josh would manage somehow. The dude was devious, in the best and most dangerous ways.

Then Josh's comment hit home and Mike frowned at him. "What's _Eraserhead_?"

Josh's laugh was answer enough. "Just consider yourself lucky that I started with _Blue Velvet_." He popped open the case and put the movie in.

 _Lucky_? Mike thought, annoyed. He wouldn't admit it to Josh, but the movie really had fucked up his week. And if that was only the tip of the iceberg… all he knew was that he wasn't going to be seeking out new David Lynch films any time soon. Pulling an apple out of his backpack, he shoved it back into the filing cabinet that served as an employee locker and leaned against the wall. "Fine. What have you got for me this time?"

" _The Big Lebowski_. Unless you'd like to shock me by having already seen it."

"Pretty sure I can quote it."

"That does not mean you've seen it, especially if said quote is: 'Where's the fucking money, Lebowski.'" Josh batted his eyes at Mike expectantly. "Well?"

Mike sighed. "Fine. Whatever."

Cackling, Josh hit play.

It was about ten minutes before the end of the movie when Mike started to fidget. "Are they really—is this seriously how they're going to end it? There isn't enough time for them to do anything else, but—" He fiddled with the stem on his apple core, spinning it in place until it popped out. Taking careful aim, he tossed the core across the shop and into the garbage by the front door.

"Isn't it great?" When Mike didn't immediately answer, Josh looked over at him. "Earth to Munroe. The Coen brothers are great. We should watch _Fargo_ next."

"Sure," Mike said finally. "That works."

Josh scowled, realization hitting him. "You don't like it."

"No! It's fine."

"Its… fine?"

"Yeah. It's funny enough. I get why people like it. I'm just not sure why it's such a big thing." Josh was looking more frustrated by the second, but Mike didn't really know what else to say. It wasn't anything incredibly special, from what he'd seen. It was funny and farcical, but otherwise, it was just a hodge-podge of jokes and weird characters strung together. Which was fine, but not what he'd been expecting.

As the Dude chatted with a Cowboy, Josh only narrowly suppressed the urge to yank on his own hair in agitation. "You are hopeless, Munroe. Snowman-trying-to-light-fireworks hopeless." Mike fought the urge to laugh with only limited success.

-o-

Mike was smirking at him. He didn't like that. He liked to be the smirker, not be smirked at. It made him feel like there was a joke he wasn't in on, and he really hated that feeling. "What?" he snapped. "What is it?"

It was hitting the slow time again. There was, of course, a chance there might be another person or two, but it wasn't very likely. Mike grabbed his backpack and pulled out a plastic bag of popcorn, a bag of sour lemon candy, and a box of chocolate mints.

Josh's eyebrows shot upwards. "What the fuck is all this?"

"Movie night. I figured we should just commit to it being a thing."

"I'm not doing that anymore." Josh scowled at him. "You don't appreciate anything properly."

Mike's smile only broadened. "Ah, but see, I thought you might say that. So I decided to pick one myself this week."

"Oh good. I'm sure it's some fantastic piece of trash. Let me guess, a Transformers movie? Maybe _Shrek_?"

"For the record, _Shrek_ was fun. I watched it with my niece. But no, I actually sought out help in picking a movie. Chris told me you've never seen this particular film and I think that's a travesty." Despite himself, Josh was starting to perk up. Mike had talked to Chris? Maybe this wasn't totally hopeless after all. Mike continued: "It stars one of the most prodigious actors of our time. He has an amazing range and is considered by some to be a genius."

The DVD case slapped down on the table and Josh bit back a startled noise. He stared at the movie in wide-eyed horror. "No."

"Yes," Mike said, grinning from ear to ear. "I brought you popcorn. I sat through multiple movies at your insistence. The least you can do is watch Nicholas Cage get attacked by bees."

”Can't we at least watch the original _Wicker Man_?"

"Nope! Well…" he considered. "Maybe if you're a good sport."

Josh eyed him mutinously. "I could just refuse to watch anything at all."

"You could," Mike looked insufferably smug. "But you won't. Because it's a cult classic you haven't seen. Because I brought you your favorite movie candy. And because Chris told me to tell you that if you don't, he will—and I quote—'send copies of the photos to both of your sisters.' I bet he'd give me a copy of them too, whatever they are."

The blood drained from his face and Josh knew he'd gone pale. The store clock beeped to indicate midnight and Josh's phone buzzed. He yanked it out. Chris's text was illuminated on the screen.

_Captain Amazing said movies normally happen around midnight, so this is your evening reminder to pull the stick out of your ass, watch a stupid movie, and enjoy               yourself._

_p.s. he asked about your candy preference. He's not a stalker or anything._

_p.p.s. he is a tool though_

_p.p.p.s. he's right about blue velvet though. Told you so._

Josh groaned loudly and slumped into the chair. "Fine."


End file.
